PSG will be under strict vigilance in their upcoming Ligue 1 clash as the governing body has forced the club to close a part of the Parc des Princes as punishment.
This means that fans with PSG tickets will be limited to selected areas of the stadium and will have limited access to the game.
This comes after the concerning incident that happened during PSG’s 4-2 home win against Strasbourg, where racist chants were echoed through the stands.
Crowd Chants Gone Wrong
It all started when a few supporters with PSG tickets chanted about Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
France international Rabiot played for PSG between 2012 and 2019 but joined rivals Marseille on a free transfer in September after being released by Juventus.
PSG played Marseille eight days after the Strasbourg match, winning 3-0 at the Stade Velodrome.
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said in a statement that PSG must close the Auteuil stand—the end behind the goal traditionally occupied by several of the club’s ultras.
However, the decision does not start until Nov. 5, and PSG will be forced to close part of its ground for Toulouse’s visit on Nov. 22.
Four PSG players were given one-match suspensions over their role in offensive chants after a win over Marseille last season.
PSG Will Not Be Fined
PSG was yet again under the radar when fans with PSG tickets took out a giant ‘Free Palestine’ banner minutes before their game against Atletico Madrid.
The banner caused a major outcry among the sports administration and the French government.
European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, said Paris Saint-Germain would face no action after a giant “Free Palestine” banner was unveiled before the kickoff of their Champions League game against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday,
A UEFA spokesperson said PSG would not face disciplinary proceedings as it only bans offensive or provocative political messages.
PSG said they had not been aware “of any plans to display such a message.”
“Paris St Germain recalls that the Parc des Princes is — and must remain — a place of communion around a common passion for soccer and firmly opposes any message of a political nature in its stadium,” the club added in a statement.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called the banner unveiling “unacceptable.” When asked if he would seek sanctions against PSG, Retailleau told Sud Radio: “I am not ruling out anything. I will demand explanations from PSG.”
The French Federation (FFF) president, Philippe Diallo, was summoned for a meeting at 0900 GMT at the interior ministry on Friday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, adding it had not yet confirmed its attendance.
The FFF has no power over European club competitions.
French TV channel BFM said PSG director general Victoriano Melero was also summoned. PSG did not respond to a request for comment.
PSG’s hardline Auteuil Kop group fans displayed a huge “Free Palestine” banner before their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. These were days before France played Israel in Paris in a Nations League game.
“War on the pitch, but peace in the world,” a message underneath said. The message, however, is viewed from two perspectives, with some PSG ticket holders stressing the importance of keeping politics out of the game.
In contrast, the other fans are stressing that voicing concerns about this could be the ‘least that the sport could do’.
Last year, Celtic were fined €17,500 ($18,839) because of fans waving Palestinian flags during a Champions League game.
PSG Goes to Courts Over Mbappe Wages
Paris Saint-Germain will take their wage dispute with Kylian Mbappé to court on Friday after the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) ruled in favor of the French captain.
French media reported that Mbappé, who has not commented on the dispute, is seeking around €55 million ($60m) in salary and bonuses, which he says the club owes him.
The Ligue 1 champions have said Mbappé’s contract was “legally amended” and that he reneged on commitments when he left the club to join Spanish giants Real Madrid during the summer transfer window.
PSG said last month that Mbappé, 25, had refused the LFP’s offer to mediate on the issue.
The LFP’s National Joint Appeals Commission heard the parties on Oct. 15 and announced on Friday it had ruled in favor of Mbappé.
“The club must pay him the salary he is claiming. This decision is not subject to appeal but may be referred to the FFF [French Football Federation] Executive Committee,” the LFP told Reuters.
However, PSG said they would be “forced to bring the case before the competent courts” while still trying to find an “amicable solution” with Mbappé, who became the French club’s all-time top scorer during his seven-year stay in the capital.
“What is in debate, and will ultimately be heard before an appropriate tribunal, is that the original contract was legally amended in August 2023 relating to the 2024-25 season, and also fully recognized by the player, including in January 2024 — until the player then decided to renege all his commitments upon leaving the club,” a PSG spokesperson said.
“As a matter of law and fact, the player has made clear, repeated public and private commitments that the club simply asks are honored, with the player being afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven years in Paris.
“The club hopes these basic commitments will simply be respected, knowing that the club will be forced to have the player’s bad faith judged by the competent courts if the player regrettably seeks to pursue this incomprehensibly damaging dispute for himself and French football, further.”
It wasn’t the best farewell for the French superstar at PSG. Fans with PSG tickets remember the turbulent times when Mbappe waited on the new contract offer and was forced to transfer out.
But manager Luis Enrique made amends between the two parties to reach an amicable settlement, allowing the superstar to return last season in a PSG shirt.
Mbappé’s representatives were not immediately available for comment.
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